Posts by Amanda DiGiondomenico

Tonight at 10|9c and 10:30|9:30c, Toy Hunter Jordan Hembrough takes toy picking to a new level as he takes on collections in New Jersey and North Carolina. A renowned toy dealer and ultimate toy hunter, Jordan has a reputation as an “in-demand dealer” that everyone wants to have evaluate their stash.

Jordan finds the picks of a lifetime for struggling business owners, annual toy events and even a few celebrity collectors throughout the season. The stakes are high and the haggles are tough because people’s livelihoods are on the line if he doesn’t deliver!

Get a sneak peek at the Rise from Ashland episode, and get a look at Jordan’s journey to the Jersey Shore. Summing up his career, Jordan says, “It’s the hunt that has always driven me. The next cool find is always right around the corner.” Learn more about our toy hunter with a Day in the Life of Jordan.

Have a toy collection of your own? Post photos of your best finds to our Rate My Toy community and see what else people have hiding in their basements!

Wednesday at 9|8c, Adam Richman brings the top contenders to Food Network’s Studio B at Chelsea Market in New York City to crown the winner of Best Sandwich in America.

Following Best Sandwich at 10|9c, Jordan Hembrough — the Toy Hunter – stops in North Carolina and Ohio to look for rare toys in this series premiere. Then, at 10:30|9:30c, Jordan heads to New Jersey for more adventures in “toy picking.”

This weekend, Los Angeles has been taken over by foodies from around the world. Chefs come from near and far to show off their skills in cooking demos, offer their expertise at roundtable discussions and serve their delicious creations to the gourmands who were smart enough to buy a ticket to the Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival.

This is only the second year of this festival –with venues in Santa Monica, downtown LA, Hollywood and Beverly Hills — and it’s already a big deal. Last year’s festival featured more than 30 restaurants and 200 vineyards, and this year’s tops that with chefs such as Giada de Laurentiis, the Voltaggio brothers and even our own Andrew Zimmern serving the 15,000 people who are expected to attend.

After an overnight flight from the US, we arrived in London to experience the magic of the Olympic Games.

Having been to the 1996 Atlanta Games, I think I was mentally prepared for a semi-repeat of that experience. I was just a teenager in 1996, but I distinctly remember the heat and the crowds. However, London is dramatically different; it is almost chilly here, and while there are many people around, the city seems quite able to handle the crowds. I was shocked when we breezed through London’s Heathrow Airport in a matter of mere minutes.

As always, we’re bringing you our favorite travel posts from the blogosphere this past week. Learn an alternative way to save money while traveling the world, where the most remote places exist and how you can find the best sustainable wines.

The Cultureist offers a tour of the best “green” wineries from France to Greece and beyond. Never heard of biodynamic wine? Neither had we.

We asked 1992 Olympic gold-medalist and TV personality Summer Sanders to tell us all about her trip to this year’s Olympics in London. She told us about her favorite British treat (tea time, anyone?) and who she was most star-struck to meet (we don’t blame her!).

Summer offers a first-hand opinion on how this year’s Olympics are so different from previous games and what it was like to witness history at the Aquatic Center.

We asked filmmakers Lindsay Blatt and Paul Taggert to share their experience filming their documentary Herd In Iceland. They told us all about the traditions of the herders they encountered, the beauty of the countryside and the rich culture hidden away in the cities and farms of Iceland.

Iceland is an island nation of approximately 300,000 people and 80,000 horses, on a parcel of land about the size of Kentucky. Our documentary Herd In Icelandbegan filming in 2010, with a return trip in the fall of 2011. The film tells the story of the Icelandic herders, whose sheep and semi-wild horses spend their summers grazing in the highlands, free to roam and raise their young. Every September, farm owners from each county ride into the mountains to collect their herds and bring them home for the winter. The film documents this historic tradition, and shows the special relationship the people have with their hardy and curious horses.READ MORE

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s tragic death. The air of mystery that surrounded her both in life and in death makes it difficult to not be intrigued by the sex symbol. To honor her, a special exhibition of 23 candid photos of Marilyn will be on display at the Phil Stern Gallery in Los Angeles, starting today.

But if you can’t be in LA to explore the actress’s life through photographs, then check out some of these destinations and relive her most famous films:

Star in your own larger-than-life version of the The Seven Year Itch by getting a photograph with the famous 26-foot-tall Marilyn statue, which now stands in Palm Springs, CA.